We have been singing and dancing to our Zoo Phonics letters this week. The children love mimicking all of the motions and it's very helpful for the children who are still learning their letter sounds or those who have a couple they confuse. Most all of the children are mixing up the "W" and "Y" sounds and need help with their vowel sounds, because there are so many exceptions when making words and blending each letter with others. I am so pleased with their progress and all they have already learned this year, and we still have half the school year to go! This is the time where it is so much fun because the routines are in place so we can move at a faster pace with all of our activities, focusing on the material and not the logistics of routines!
We have continued our study of the Inuit people this week. It has been fun creating igloos and exploring the Arctic world.
Be sure to sign up for a conference time if you have not already, or contact me for another time not listed! I am here early and available most mornings to meet 7:45-8:15 am.
Language Arts Center:
We have been building different words with letter blocks and playing a game where we fill in the consonant at the beginning of a word based on the picture clue and the remainder of the word. Breaking words into syllables is helpful too. We clap as we practice counting syllables in words in our morning meeting, along with rhyming words and popcorn/sight words. The children LOVE writing in their word books and feel so grown up to have their own books to work in, and it provides great letter formation practice for them. ANY writing they do is beneficial, so writing centers at home with various pens, markers, pencils, crayons etc. are great! Whenever you can excite them and make it interesting for them to color, sound out words and use their inventive spelling, label their illustrations, etc. I encourage you to. If you are looking for helpful activities to do at home, just writing and going over each letter in their name and the letter sound or exception is extremely beneficial. If they have mastered their first and last names, add their middle name, street address or phone number to discuss and practice writing. The letters Ww, Uu, Ii, A, Ee, Oo, Yy, Qq, Bb, and Dd are the most troublesome for the class, with confusion about the recognition as well as the sounds each makes.
Our third grade reading buddies came to visit, read and help us create our journal page this week. They love having the older kids read with them! It's such a great way to deepen our sense of the school community. The children used inventive spelling to label or write about the story they read together.
We have read many higher level stories this week, breaking them up as we do our chapter books. The children are becoming more interested in more intricate plots and are able to sit for longer periods of time while they enjoy being read to. Chapter books at home are wonderful at this age too! Introducing new vocabulary to them through literature is an amazing way to improve their reading comprehension skills. We continue to discuss the characters, settings, and sequence of events when reading.
Math and Science Centers:
We use manipulatives in our games to make adding and subtracting fun. Counting and stressing the one first on teen numbers, and even calling "10" "ten-teen" is helpful for some children to remember which number comes first. They are learning that the one comes first in teen numbers, but the 10, 11 and 12 can be tricky since they are exceptions to the "ending in teen" rule. Please reach out to me for further explanation if this is confusing. We are also practicing counting by 10's. This is another Kindergarten skill but I love introducing this to the children early and for those who are ready it's another fun counting rhyme and also begins to build the basis of their numerology understanding. For the students who are still practicing their counting to 100, it will be familiar when they begin their Kindergarten math.
We have discussed many science-related concepts, about the animals and how they survive in the arctic to different plants and animals and what is able to grow and flourish in cold temperatures. We read a story about a lost polar bear who has never seen a butterfly before. This provided a great basis to discuss different regions and climates and things that are specific to those.
Fine Arts Center:
We finished constructing our igloos and inuit people, and practiced our scissor skills and writing skills while creating February calendars. We also discussed the concept of symmetry when creating hearts and how they are symmetrical. I apologize for the glitter. We sprayed them all to set the glitter, but it still finds a way to get everywhere! We colored, cut out, and made grass fringe for groundhogs in celebration of groundhog day!
Please check to be sure your child has seasonal clothing in their cubby, as many times they will get wet when playing in the snow.
Have a great weekend!
Ms. Massey
